


Mayonnaise is Not a Substitute for Frosting

by Meero



Category: Gintama
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meero/pseuds/Meero
Summary: This is my first actual work! Written for the Gintama: The Final Reverse Mini Bang!I'm not sure where I was going with this, but I hope you enjoy.Gintoki is down on his luck and Hijikata tries to assist, along with temporary living arrangments.Contains domestically awkward GinHiji.
Relationships: Hijikata Toshirou/Sakata Gintoki
Comments: 9
Kudos: 39
Collections: Gintama THE FINAL: The Compressed Timeline Mini Reverse Bang Fanworks Event





	Mayonnaise is Not a Substitute for Frosting

**\--- 6:00 AM, Sunday**

Generally, Yorozuya Gin-chan doesn’t quite qualify as shoddy, if not shitty, but today something in the atmosphere seemed just a little off. The couches were neat and devoid of giant-dog fur, the carpet reeked slightly less of that familiar yet odd, lingering smell of poverty and spilled meals, and the desk that made up the living room’s focal point now housed a pile of papers that overshadowed the piece of furniture itself.

“I thought that desk was only used to collect dust,” called Hijikata from the doorframe, cigarette in hand and open door spilling light into the otherwise dull room.

“Well, you see, Gin-chan is having a hard time finding work,” the perm remarked with a bitter chuckle.

Hijikata, quickly snuffing out his cigarette and tossing it into the street below, quietly shut the door behind himself and walked over to the couch, shrugging off his uniform jacket as he sat on the cushion with a bored look that failed to hint at his true amusement.

The cop ran a hand over the smooth blue cushions of the couch, nonchalantly inspecting the lack of debris and fur. Did Gintoki clean the place for him? Or was he avoiding job hunting by being productive in his own home, for once? Nonetheless, Hijikata considered it an improvement and let out a breathy laugh.

Gintoki, intrigued, perked up at the noise.

“Is something funny?”

“You’ve been busy cleaning,” quipped Toshi fondly.

“Ah… I was… bored,” Gintoki confessed slowly, trying to avoid having to admit that he might have deep-cleaned his entire home out of anticipation for today.

Hijikata gave a sage nod, playing along with the excuse for a moment.

“I see. You cleaned your home so I could help you hunt for a job. Which requires you to leave your home.”

“Uh-huh,” Gintoki mumbled, an intense look of betrayal on his face.

Turning to stare out the window, only to get the morning’s first rays of sunlight in tired eyes, Gintoki moved to his desk and slowly sat back in his chair with a long and unsettling creak, meeting Hijikata’s steel gaze through the paper towers piled on his desk.

A soft sigh escaped chapped lips as the samurai crossed his arms over the soft fabric covering his chest, letting his head loll to the side as sunlight filtered farther into the room along with the indistinct signal of the early sun. Warm rays of light met the slightly tanned skin of both men, providing the two with a vague comfort one could only get from sunbathing on a quiet, mellow afternoon.

Given Gintoki’s slightly tangled perm and wrinkled pajamas, he had only just gotten out of bed. And at an inconvenient hour, at that.

Watching the sunrise was rarely something Gintoki craved, more or less enjoyed.

Unlike the perm sitting across from him, Hijikata found reprieve in watching the day begin.

However, Hijikata felt forever restless this morning. He had skipped out on his usual work routine in order to accompany Gintoki for a day during his job hunt, yet found himself stuck in the man’s home because, for some perfectly justifiable reason, he didn't quite want to leave. It was sort of chilly outside, so the reprieve from winter weather only made him want to linger in Gintoki’s home longer. Not that he didn’t have his own place to go to. It was just… comforting-- the warmth, that is. Despite how much his leg was bouncing, Toshi’s chest felt somewhat elated to be there. Perhaps it was another kind of warmth that begged him to stay.

“I could’ve been asleep, you know,” Gintoki murmured, frustrated.

“Jobs don’t wait for bums who sleep past noon,” said Hijikata pointedly, still lounging on the couch, looking a bit more relaxed.

“I can understand that,” the perm spoke reluctantly, “but who asks someone to wake up before the sun? That’s inhumane.”

“I don’t know. Maybe you could ask whoever hires you,” Hijikata replied with a shrug as he pulled out his mayo-shaped lighter to fiddle with.

Gintoki stood up and with both arms he motioned towards the window at the barely risen sun, wine-red eyes staring daggers at the other man.

“I was talking about you.”

Hijikata gasped.

“I would never.”

Of course he asked Gintoki to wake up early. Job hunting was not an easy thing for an ex-patriot samurai.

“Fine. I get it, I guess...” Gintoki huffed dismissively, lazily waving his hand at the other man. “Do you want anything to eat?”

“No,” Hijikata replied casually, mindlessly entertained by his lighter as he flicked it on.

“I guess I forgot,” Gintoki drawled with a mischievous grin, “you only eat tobacco and mayonnaise, right?”

This time, as he let the flame go out, it was Hijikata with a look of betrayal.

**\--- 1:00 PM, Sunday**

Following their morning interactions, the two went from building to building, hunting for any odd jobs that still remained to be done. After at least six hours of asking strangers for work and pointless on-the-spot interviews that proved to go... not so well, the two came to a halt at a nearby cafe after Hijikata offered to buy Gintoki a parfait. As a reward of, of sorts. The two men really were trying, but luck just didn’t seem to be on their side today.

It was a nice afternoon, but the pair still opted to sit inside rather than in the sun, given that they had been standing outside all morning. It was a cute cafe, and wasn’t too gaudy for Hijikata’s tastes. Gintoki, however, didn’t care what kind of cafe it was. As long as it had tasty sweets that he didn’t have to pay for, he would leave satisfied.

They ordered at the counter, and Toshi asked for a black coffee and a parfait. Gintoki, however, seemed to take an interest in the display case that held about a dozen different kinds of pastries and desserts. The silver-haired man crouched to get a better look, pursing his lips and furrowing his brows in thought.

"You look constipated."

"There's just... so many options, y'know? I could really go for a cake or something too," Gintoki muttered, wine irises still glued to the display.

"You're not getting any more money from me," Hijikata spoke, giving the other man a soft bonk on the head with his fist.

"I figured. You're too stingy," the perm pouted as he shooed the cop's hand away, stalking off to go find a table with a quiet huff.

"And you have no self control," he called lightly.

Nevertheless, Hijikata beckoned the cashier over and added a pink cupcake to their order.

Once the raven-haired man joined his partner at their table, it was a short wait before the long awaited parfait and etcetera was brought out.

The coffee was… alright. Sadly, the establishment didn’t have mayonnaise, so Hijikata had to use some of the reserves he kept in the pocket on the inside of his jacket. Most employees and other customers within a 10 meter vicinity suddenly felt the need to cringe when they spotted the cop putting a condiment in his coffee.

Gintoki seemed to enjoy his parfait, however. Hijikata had turned away only for a moment and somehow the sugar-addict samurai had emptied the glass more than halfway.

After the two finished their respective orders, save the cupcake, it was oddly silent between the pair. There was no tension between them, and no intrigue for the lone dessert. It seemed to fly completely under Gintoki's radar.

'There must be something on his mind,' Hijikata thought.

The dark-haired man leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, idly eyeing Gintoki, who had seemingly spaced out and was staring at the window while drawing circles with his finger on the doily that lined the table.

“Hey,” called Gintoki, gaze out the window, causing his companion to perk up, a steel-blue gaze turning towards the man sitting across the table.

“Hm?”

“It's too quiet,” the perm complained, turning back towards the other man to place his elbow on the table, placing his chin in his hand.

“I think this place would lose customers if the music was any lou-”

“No. I’m… not talking about that. You’ve been less annoying than usual. And helpful. Why?”

“Oh,” Toshi muttered before turning his head to the side, looking back out the window. Musing softly, he replied, “I guess I’m just... worried?”

“Worried?”

“That you won’t be able to find work.”

“That’s unlike you, Hijikata. I’ve been expecting you to yell at me over being jobless all morning.”

“I can yell at you, if you want me to that badly,” he provided with a light chuckle, steel colored eyes looking almost cornflower blue in the light.

“No thanks,” Gintoki grinned, the expression turning slightly bitter.

“It's been too long since you and the kids last got a client,” he muttered.

“I know. You don’t have to worry," the silver-haired man reassured, with a forced grin.

"I want to believe you." Hijikata shook his head slowly, watching Gintoki with a somewhat serious look in his eyes.

“What are your kids up to, anyway? They weren’t at your place this morning, right?”

“Sleepover with Otae. Today they’re also helping her clean the dojo. Also, don't call them my kids. It feels weird."

“But they are, aren't they? I'm glad to hear that they're doing something, at least, instead of moping around like you. I bet you haven't even touched that pile of papers on your desk."

Gintoki opened his mouth, but found no words at his disposal.

“I….I pay them, sometimes," he spoke, voice wavering a little. "And those papers are from old jobs or advertisements. To find past clients who might want more work done."

“And they're piled up like that because you haven't actually looked at them, right?"

“Maybe I could use a secretary," Gintoki whispered, leaning forward in his seat and causing the table to creak.

"I'm not sure which way this is going, but I'm not going to indulge you either way."

Ah. The guy looked like a kicked puppy.

Hijikata, having steeled himself and dismissed Gintoki's horrible attempt at flirting, motioned for the check.

The waitress brought it almost immediately, and was tipped well. She spared a quick glance at the untouched cupcake, before shrugging and leaving the two men to their own devices.

“By the way, what’s this? I didn’t notice it earlier.” Snaking an arm over the table, Gintoki stuck his finger in the cupcake’s frosting and then proceeded to lick it off.

“A cupcake.”

“I never would’ve guessed,” Gintoki commented bleakly, the dead fish stare on his face even more apparent.

“Something extra for you. Do you not like it?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I do,” he defended. “You’ve also just been very… nice, lately. Not just today.”

“I’m not a sadist. Besides, I thought-- as your partner-- I'm supposed to be nice,” Hijikata prodded, taking a bit of the frosting on one of his own fingers before copying his companion.

Gintoki hummed softly in agreement. “I like nice Toshi because it means more sweets.”

“You have no shame,” the cop responded with a curt shake of his head, before picking up more frosting only to lurch forward and swipe it across the tip of Gintoki’s nose.

The silver-haired man did move to grab Hijikata’s arm, but it was much too late.

“Bastard.”

“I guess I can't be too nice,” Toshi replied with a short laugh.

Gintoki couldn’t help but grin at the roundabout way the conversation was going, swiping the frosting off of his nose before sticking it in his mouth.

“I don’t think I’d want it any other way.”

**\--- 7:30 PM, Sunday**

By the end of the day, Gintoki had no job and Hijikata had blisters on his feet. The searing afternoon sun was setting on a now desolate street, and the two men had settled at Otose’s place. The snack house was relatively empty, given how little business Sunday evenings brought in. Otose was behind the counter, as usual, and Catherine was farther back in the shop, likely harassing an unsuspecting drunk old man.

Gintoki, slightly buzzed and slumped over the counter with a vice grip on a glass of beer, let out a long, dramatic groan.

"I can't even afford rice right now," he whined, turning his head so that his cheek was flush with the cold countertop.

"I'd kick you out for saying that, if I didn't already know. You'd also end up owing me for the drinks and this month's rent, if I want feeling so benevolent today," Otose joked, clearly aware of the Yorozuya's newer financial issues.

"Ahah… thanks, granny," he muttered against the table under his face.

Hijikata, meanwhile, was planted a couple seats down from where Gintoki was drowning his sorrows with free beer. He sipped on a glass of water, not quite in the mood for alcohol at the time. Given the events of the day, Kabukicho had nothing to offer in terms of extra work befitting Gintoki. The okama club was able to offer the perm a couple more shifts a week, but not nearly enough to support a samurai and his two wards. At least it was something, for the time being.

"It was nice of you to help him today, Hijikata-san," Otose praised with a small grin while refilling his glass from a pitcher of water.

"It was no big deal. Think of it as part of my job" he muttered, feeling restless as he picked up the glass and took another drink.

"Your job as a cop or a boyfriend?"

"Erm… the latter, I suppose."

Hijikata quickly looked down at his feet to hide the bashful flush on his face.

Otose laughed softly, reaching to refill Gintoki's now empty glass of beer.

"I understand you're concerned," she continued, leaning against the side of the counter as she spoke to him.

At this point, Gintoki's head drowsily lifted from the table to hear their conversation as he lazily sipped on his fresh refill.

"Of course I am," he murmured, Gintoki's intrigued movement temporarily drawing Hijikata's attention.

"Of course he is," the silver-haired man parroted, that familiar dead fish stare in his eyes. "I told you that you don't need to worry, didn't I?"

"He's right to worry, Gintoki," Otose interrupted with a casual shrug, moving to grab a couple dirty glasses at the end of the bar.

That elicited a small grunt from the ex-patriot.

"I'm giving you free drinks, so you should listen to me," she reprimanded lightly, giving a small tug to Gintoki's ear.

"Fine, fine," he relented, pushing the older woman's hand away.

"I think it'd be good for you to have someone else around," she began, drawing Hijikata's gaze with her vague implication.

"Like a babysitter," Gintoki groaned.

"No, like a partner."

"You don't mean him, right?"

"Rude," Hijikata remarked.

"I don't mean it like that. You're usually so busy with work that I can't expect you to hang around."

"You're remarkably sound for someone on their fourth beer," Otose added.

"It's not easy to get tipsy under stress," Hijikata reasoned. "And… I understand. I just can't lea-"

"Ah, ah," Otose tutted, pointing a thin, accusatory finger at Hijikata. "I know this one may be an idiot," she said as she flicked Gintoki on the head, who then held his forehead with a grimace, "but you're an even bigger fool by thinking work is an excuse to not spend time with him."

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to spend your afternoons and evenings with those three until things improve. You already know how worse off they are without work."

"I'm not sure I can-"

She flicked Hijikata on the forehead.

"Things won't get better if you leave them as they are."

"I know. We just have to find a clien-"

This time, Gintoki tugged him by the ear. Hijikata let out a small, "Ah," before batting his hand away.

"I agree with the old lady," his silver-haired partner added, the alcoholic flush on his face making Gintoki seem slightly bashful.

"Besides, I want you to stay," the perm added as he spoke into his glass, taking another drink.

Hijikata felt himself pause, speechless for only a moment. His throat felt dry. Would it really help? Even so, he couldn't deny Gintoki.

"I… can try to work something out."

"Great," Otose exclaimed softly, clapping her hands together. "I'll even put in a formal request with your work, if that helps."

Hijikata nodded.

"Yeah... that sounds good."

**\--- 11:00 PM, Sunday**

"You sure you want to stay the night? I mean, I only have one futon right now."

Hijikata nodded firmly, and almost excitedly, should he have let his emotions get the best of him.

Thrilled over the idea of sharing a bed? What was he, a teenager?

"It's okay, I'll sleep on the couch."

He felt as if he died a little on the inside. Such are the conventions of adulthood and decency-

"That's dumb. Aren't we dating, stupid?"

Hijikata perked up a bit, like when a dog has a bone dangled right in front of its face.

"Ahah… I suppose we are."

"Idiot."

"I don't want to impose too much-"

"Are you sick? I feel like you're getting dumber by the second," Gintoki joked with a laugh, waving his hand to dismiss the subject.

Hijikata felt his cheeks heat up. He shoved his hands in his pockets, curtly looking off to the side.

"Only if you really want to."

"Of course," the silver-haired man responded with a wide grin, poking Hijikata on the forehead.

"I'll bring mine from my room tomorrow," he murmured as an afterthought, tenderly taking the hand that had just poked him into his own, sort of clammy, one.

Just then, Gintoki pulled Hijikata close, wrapping an arm around the other man before burying his face into the crook of Hijikata's neck, brushing against raven locks.

"You're awfully affectionate," Hijikata teased softly, wrapping an arm around Gintoki's waist in return as he intertwined a stray hand in silver hair. He gingerly set his cheek on top of his partner, planting a small kiss on the crown of Gintoki's head.

"I'm glad that you're staying, even if I'll be working most of the time."

Job hunting was never an easy thing.

"You're starting to sound like me."

**\--- Two Weeks Later, 7:00 AM, Sunday (Again)**

Gintoki didn’t come back home last night.

And it only seemed to become more common as the days of fruitless job-hunting went on.

Hijikata sat up and pulled his blanket off, blankly staring at the uncomfortably empty futon laid next to his own, its blankets devoid of any wrinkles and pillow lacking in creases. Blinking away the sleep in his eyes, Toshi couldn’t seem to tear his gaze from the untouched bed next to him. The room felt colder than usual, and sullen discontent pricked at his heart.

Usually, at this time of the morning, he would roll over only to meet Gintoki’s conked out face, heavily dozing with his mouth slightly open and threatening to drool on the pillow beneath his head.

But, today, it was only Hijikata in the house.

The raven-haired samurai let out a soft huff, staring at the ceiling with little interest. Gintoki was likely at the okama club. Not that Toshi didn't like seeing Gintoki in a kimono and makeup, but the job itself was a bit degrading.

"Whatever it takes to feed yourself," he relented quietly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and furrowed his brows, a small grimace on his lips. Hijikata slowly shoved the rest of his blanket off of his legs, knees creaking quietly as he began to stand up. The room itself was just as depressing as the empty futon he woke up to; sunlight filtered through the window, only to highlight the specks of dust that floated through the air. The air felt stuffy, as if it had been stagnating for months. However… perhaps it was just reflective of how Toshi felt.

For the past couple days, the house had been mostly empty; Gintoki and his underlings were usually out harassing people for a job.

Hijikata chewed on his lip absentmindedly, crossing his arms.

Reluctantly, the raven-haired man began to fold the futons and their blankets, pushing them to the corner of the room temporarily, and gingerly placing the pillows on top with a glazed-over expression of exasperation. The house was quiet, and although Toshi did enjoy the peacefulness of it, it only made him hate the silence more. The Yorozuya trio might be considered hectic, loud, and insufferable, but the sheer character of those three brought Hijikata a sense of comfort these days.

Maybe he had been spending too much time with them.

Hijikata spared a smile for himself, rubbing his tired eyes with the back of his hands.

It was… lonely.

Until the front door slammed open, causing Hijikata to rush over to see the commotion. Instead of an emergency or something of the sort, he was instead met with an unsteady Pako, now sitting on the ground and fumbling to get her shoes off.

"You took another shift last night?"

Gintoki grinned sheepishly as he met Hijikata's gaze from the doorway, kimono dishevelled and a small wince hinting at his potential hangover from the night prior.

"You could've at least told me before I made your bed," Toshi reprimanded with a scowl, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh. Sorry about that. You didn't need to, you know," Gintoki responded quickly, reddish eyes hinting at the late-night shift he had just returned from.

"I thought you were going to stay," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ah, well, duty calls."

"I agreed to watch you, not your house, Gintoki."

The cross-dresser gave a small shrug.

"I have to eke out a living somehow."

Hijikata sighed heavily, frustration building.

"I get it. It's just not what I expected."

"What were you expecting?"

"I don't know. Something… else."

The cop exhaled slowly, resolving some of the tension growing in his shoulders.

"Hm…."

Gintoki put his hand to his chin in thought, tugging off his hair extensions with the other.

"I have to do some things this afternoon, but I promise I'll stay the night."

"That doesn't sound reassuring, but I'll take it. At least you're doing something about this situation," Hijikata relented, gently placing his palm on top of silver locks.

"You can trust Pako-chan," Gintoki teased in a horribly pitched-up voice as he looked up towards the other man, followed with a wink.

"God, I really hope we find you a job soon."

**\--- 5:00 PM, Sunday (Again)**

All things considered, it wasn't like Hijikata to do this for someone. Even his boyfriend.

But since he began staying with Gintoki and his pseudo-children, new habits formed for the policeman faster than he could stop them. It was hard to say exactly why he started helping out around the house, given that this was only a temporary arrangement, yet it made Hijikata's chest fill with warmth. It usually consisted of things like cleaning the living room in the early hours of the morning, cooking dinner at least twice a week, leaving notes as reminders for the errands Gintoki and the kids had to run, and even limiting the amount of mayonnaise he kept in the fridge.

Nobody asked him to cut down on the condiment, actually, but one can only endure so many judging looks and fake gagging within two weeks. With the Shinsengumi, most would just turn the other way out of fear or… disgust. At least they didn't make him feel so guilty about it, unlike the Yorozuya. Usually.

Hijikata let out a soft sigh, standing idly in Gintoki's bleak looking kitchen. He had left work early (again), only to find an empty house. Gintoki was likely job hunting with Kagura, seeing as their lack of income had gone on for almost a month. Shinpachi was only ever at the house in the mornings, for updates on finding any clients. He seemed to spend a lot more time with Otae than usual. Perhaps he had given up? Not likely, and knowing the kid, he's trying to make a quick buck for the business by helping out his sister while she isn't working.

The situation only seemed to become more dire the longer Hijikata stayed, watching it from the front lines. He cracked his knuckles, and having already shucked off his jacket, the raven-haired man rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt. If he recalled correctly, on that day two weeks ago while they were at the cafe, Gintoki took an interest in the cupcakes in their display case. The perm-head likes sweets, and Hijikata can sort of bake, so it's a win-win, right?

To be honest, Toshi felt kind of desperate to raise everyone's spirits. Otose convinced (more like… ordered) him to stay with Gintoki and take care of the place (and them) while they tried to get back on their feet, which he nearly denied. But he just… had to do something. The three fools that ran the place hadn't given up on work just yet, but Hijikata could feel their motivation waning. Perhaps it was the intuition of a vice-commander, or maybe it had gotten so bad that anyone could see how down in the dumps they were.

Nevertheless, Hijikata wasn't going to give up on cheering them up or helping them find work. Even if success meant relinquishing his afternoons and evenings to the Shinsengumi again. The situation pulled at his heartstrings with an unprecedented amount of force; he simply couldn't give in to being Gintoki's housekeeper instead of his boyfriend. A partner is supposed to help their significant other in times of trouble, of course.

"Okay," Hijikata began, steeling himself as he grabbed his blue apron (an embroidered mayo bottle now on the front) and secured it around his waist. He was quite surprised when Shinpachi presented him with the silly looking apron, as a gift. Who knew the kid could sew that well? Maybe that explains Gintoki's frilly pink one….

"Now… where did I put that cookbook again?"

"Mayora-chan!"

Hijikata nearly gave himself whiplash as he turned his head to the side, only to see Kagura standing just outside of the kitchen.

"Welcome home," he greeted with a small smile before crouching down to find a bowl in one of the cabinets underneath the countertop.

"Mhm! Gin-chan dropped me off after he said he was going to find more clients."

"Good to know he hasn't given up yet."

Kagura, who was now casually picking her nose, slowly tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

"You're cooking?"

"Baking."

"Can I have some?"

"You don't even know what I'm making."

"Doesn't matter to me, as long as there isn't too much mayo," she answered with a shrug, taking a look at the finger she had just shoved up her nose before flicking away whatever gunk was on it.

"You can only have some if you help," he replied as his face twisted slightly with disgust.

Kagura really did pick up Gintoki's worst habits.

Kagura, fired up at Hijikata's offer, rolled up her sleeves and gave a mock salute.

"Yessir! Just let me know what to do."

"Well… you can start by washing your hands."

In the meantime, Hijikata found the aforementioned cookbook on top of the fridge. He wasn't exactly sure how it got there. Nonetheless, the policeman quickly gathered all the necessary ingredients for plain vanilla cupcakes while Kagura washed her hands for longer than she wanted.

"I'm done!"

"No. Wash them for at least twenty seconds. And use warm water."

"But Gin-chan says to only use a little bit, or he'll make us pay for the water bill."

"He doesn't pay his water bill anyway."

Kagura gasped.

"How irresponsible," she murmured, putting on her fake, motherly act.

"I know, right?"

Hijikata couldn't help but laugh.

Kagura returned a few moments later, showing her freshly washed hands to raven-haired man.

"I can help now, right?"

"Yeah. Put this on first," he added, grabbing Gintoki's pink apron from where it was hung up.

"Gin-chan's apron?"

"You don't want to get messy," he replied softly, draping the pink fabric over Kagura's shoulders.

Kagura gave a small nod, holding her arms out and bouncing on her feet as she allowed Hijikata to crouch down and tie the back into a bow.

"It's a little big on you, but it's better to stay clean."

"All right! Let's bake, Toshi-chan!"

Leave it to Kagura to call him Toshi-chan. She seemed to be in high spirits, at least.

**\---**

In the past hour, the unlikely pair made a batch of cupcakes and frosting.

Well… they made a batch, but only one intact cupcake remained.

They weren't bad at baking, exactly. Kagura just couldn't keep her hands off of the sweets. After all, Hijikata did give her permission to have some if she helped, and that she did.

It was kind of an ordeal trying to get her to not crush eggs as she put them in the mixing bowl. Hijikata couldn't tell if it was due to Yato strength or sheer ignorance. Still, she was able to whisk together ingredients better than any electric mixer, thanks to that.

"Thanks for the food," Kagura spoke with a grin.

He gave the younger girl a pat on the head as she stuffed her face with the second to last cupcake, which had an uncomfortably large amount of mayo frosting on the top.

"I understand why you like mayo so much, Toshi-chan," she remarked with her mouth full, "but it doesn't go with cupcakes."

"Why did you eat so many, then?"

"Food," she answered with a thumbs up.

"Ah. Yes."

"It's a shame that you didn't get any, though."

"Ah…."

'Because you ate them all,' he wanted to say.

"What about the last one?" Kagura quirked a brow as she looked at Hijikata, casually untying the back of her (Gintoki's) flour-covered apron.

"I'm saving that one."

"Why?"

"You'll… understand when you're older."

Kagura looked at the man with disgust.

"It's not like that."

Her face seemed to be stuck like that. She curtly turned around and exited the room, accented by a small gagging noise from the next room over.

"Sadaharu, adults are so gross," she called from the living room.

Kagura was met with an enthusiastic bark.

Hijikata shook his head, a fond sigh leaving parted lips. At least he didn't have to worry about Kagura telling Gintoki about it. Something about this place and those kids made his heart feel warmer than ever. Grabbing the last cupcake, Toshi hid it in a tupperware container labelled with 'Mayonnaise' and placed it in the fridge. That way, it would stay somewhat fresh and nobody would dare touch it.

He bit the inside of his cheek a bit too hard as he realized that he had to clean all of their mess and decorate a tray for the cupcake before Gintoki came home.

**\---**

Hijikata dusted off his apron one last time before stretching his arms and back out, hands reaching towards the ceiling. The kitchen was absolutely spotless, thanks to his newfound habit of cleaning things around the house until they practically sparkled. To be honest, he didn't mind the accidental housekeeper position too much. It felt strangely domestic, as if Gintoki was the husband who went to work every day and Hijikata was the wife who took care of the home and family. He would still likely strangle anyone who dared to point that out, though.

In the beginning, he told himself that he was doing this for Gintoki.

However, Hijikata had failed to realize how much he actually enjoyed living with his partner, at least for a few days. The Shinsengumi still had work to do, so he couldn't exactly leave his job. The opportunity Otose proposed two weeks ago really… helped. It might've done nothing to improve the Yorozuya's financial status, but Hijikata considered that she may have had something else in mind. Perhaps she didn't want to see Gintoki fall into depression, or something like that, and Toshi was the remedy.

Or perhaps that's just wishful thinking, on Hijikata's part.

Nevertheless, Otose had great schemes when she wanted to be helpful.

Hijikata grabbed the tupperware he had labelled earlier out of the fridge a good three hours later, popping open the lid and placing the cupcake he and Kagura made on a tiny porcelain plate. Gintoki would likely be home soon, so he had to be quick. He hastily unrolled his sleeves and tried to pull out any wrinkles, which didn't help much, and grabbed a few more small dishes that he had already put aside. Hijikata felt… sort of giddy. Would Gintoki like it? He really hoped so.

As if he was a grade-school girl giving homemade chocolates to her crush.

He took in a long breath, continuing to set glass and porcelain on the tray. He added some strawberries in a bowl, mayonnaise… pudding, coffee with some cubes of sugar, and a large cup of strawberry milk. At the center sat the mayo-frosting topped vanilla cupcake. Hijikata stood back for a second, taking in the arrangement. Something was missing. In a moment of thought, something sparked in his brain full of sappy, wifey mush, and he quickly stepped into Gintoki's (their shared) room. On the windowsill, slightly hidden by the blinds, was a pink rose in a thin glass vase.

He had gotten it from Hedoro on the street a couple days ago, and couldn't find himself able to let go of it. Probably out of fear. That guy was too nice to have such a scary face.

It seems his instincts served him well, this time. He snatched the flower and it's vase, walking back to the kitchen with a mission in mind.

Hijikata placed the rose on the edge of the wooden tray.

Perfect.

**\---**

It was about 10:00 PM.

Kagura had already gotten ready for bed, and was idly brushing out Sahaharu's fur. Hijikata seemed to forget how much of a flake Gintoki was through his domestic fervor. Although, the perm did promise that he'd be back tonight. All he could do was wait. Slowly moving rooms, the cop soon sat on one of the couches in the living room, not bothering to take his apron off as he set the decorated tray on the table in front of him. It looked… nice.

It was hard for Hijikata to believe that he was the one to put it together, save Kagura's help.

Silently, Sadaharu perked up out of nowhere, scooting closer to where Hijikata was sitting while staring at the door. The cop placed a hand on top of the giant dog's head, scratching lightly. Wordlessly, Kagura joined in too, scritching the canine's back.

"He's probably home," Kagura yawned, flopping onto Sadaharu's back as she tried to keep the sleep from her eyes.

"You can go to bed, you know."

Gazing at Hijikata, she pouted before burrowing her face into white fur.

"C'mon, Sadaharu," she spoke, muffled through fluff. "We gotta let them do adult things."

The monstrously large dog blinked once, standing up in response and walking towards Kagura's bedroom-closet while the sleepy girl clung on to it's back.

"Goodnight," Hijikata quietly called after them, a soft smile on his face.

He suddenly heard quiet footsteps outside the door and a small creak, whipping his head around to see street-light pouring in through the otherwise dark entryway. Nerves pouring in, Hijikata took hold of the tray on the table, slowly standing up in the bright light of the living room. His throat felt drier than usual. With a silent gulp, he straightened his back and tightened his grip on the tray.

Gintoki's eyes met his, the samurai having just finished pulling off his boots.

"You're home," he almost rasped, somehow still sounding calm and collected despite his heartbeat now beating in his head.

"I said I'd be, right?"

"You did," he murmured, glancing towards the ground, then the ceiling, before finally settling his gaze back on Gintoki.

"Something wrong?"

"Er… no. I have something for you."

Gintoki grinned at the sight, eyes finally adjusting to the indoor light as he stepped towards the other man. Hijikata, standing there with the tray, felt sort of… embarrassed. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt more bashful than when they had confessed to each other. The act of giving a gift felt entirely personal, and Hijikata's emotions showed on his flushed face.

"Food?"

"Yeah," he responded softly, steel blue eyes glancing around the room again.

"For me?"

Hijikata nodded once, a bit sick of all the questions.

"Yes, it's for you," he relented with a sigh, the evidence of embarrassment failing to leave his body, despite feeling more relaxed now.

"It looks really nice," Gintoki commented, inspecting the tray. "You even added a flower."

Hijikata rigidly offered the tray to Gintoki, who, in return, simply took the single cupcake off of its plate and licked the frosting.

"Wow. This tastes… not good," he remarked, maintaining eye contact with Hijikata as he took a large bite of the cupcake, frosting and all.

"That's rude. I put effort into making that."

"I know. If I hated it, I wouldn't still be eating it," Gintoki added, mouth full of cupcake.

"I… probably did use too much mayo."

"Just a bit," Gintoki said with a grin as he put some of the mayonnaise frosting on his finger, immediately poking Hijikata on the forehead.

"Wha- hey!"

Gintoki gave an elated laugh, taking another bite of the mayo-cake.

"Thank you, Toshi," he spoke tenderly, taking the tray from Hijikata's clammy hands, before moving to set it back down on the table.

"You're not going to eat it?"

"I will," Gintoki replied before taking a few large bites of the cupcake, effectively finishing it off.

"I mean, I loved the cupcake so much it's already gone, see?"

Gintoki held the empty cupcake wrapper in his outstretched palm before throwing it away, a cheesy looking smile on his lips.

Hijikata laughed at the ridiculousness of his partner's gesture, wiping a single tear from his eye.

"You didn't have to eat it all, dumbass."

"No way," he replied, taking Hijikata's hands in his own.

"I love it."

"That's a lie," Hijikata pointed out, not angry... but rather gleeful. Only a fool like Gintoki would eat an entire cupcake topped with mayo, despite hating his partner's eating habits. Kagura was an exception, known for being a black hole towards food.

"Well… I might want to throw up because of that cupcake, but I love you," Gintoki spoke, a bit of his confidence stripped away as he said those words. His cheeks were slightly rosy now.

"And I love the things you do for me," the silver-haired man finished.

"Alright, mayo-breath."

"Says the guy with mayo stuck on his forehead."

"That was your fault."

"Hehe. Yeah, it was."

In that moment, Hijikata yanked Gintoki forward by the arm and caught the man in a harsh kiss. Nothing heated or sloppy, but instead a simple peck on the lips. He could still taste the mayonnaise on him from the cupcake, though.

"I love you, stupid."

"I love you too, dumbass," Gintoki responded quietly, wiping off the mayo he put on Hijikata's forehead earlier with his thumb.

Hijikata wasn't sure, when they both had jobs to do again, if he wanted to return to normalcy.

He wanted to stay like this.

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[Art by Trapid!](https://trapid-v.tumblr.com/post/639624255661834240/blushy-toshi-is-a-mood-this-was-done-for-the)

**Author's Note:**

> I tried my best! Please let me know your thoughts. <3


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